Textron sees Gulf demand for drones, ground vehicles

The first drone to be used by the Iraqi Air Force, loaded with ordnance, prepares to take-off to raid ISIS group positions in October (AP)

Lower oil prices and conflicts in Yemen, Iraq and Syria have focused the attention of many Gulf countries on smaller drones, ground vehicles and other short-term equipment needs, a senior Textron Inc executive said Sunday. “Oil and the conflicts going on are making everything about what is needed here and now, versus what do we need for the future,” Textron Systems President Ellen Lord told Reuters at the Dubai Airshow. “People are much more price conscious.” “There’s a near-term need for equipment to support the ongoing conflicts,” she said. Lord said Kuwait was looking at a potential order of 100 wheeled vehicles and hoped to carry out vehicle trials in the desert next summer, with a contract award likely late in the year. The United Arab Emirates was looking at a similar sized order, although the timetable was less clear, she said. Saudi Arabia was considering an order for several hundred new vehicles and seeking competitive bids to carry out an upgrade of 1,500 older V-150 vehicles Textron built in the 1980s, she said. […]